The Perfect Box

Bill: "What are you doing?"

Dad: "Breaking down boxes. Want to help?"

Bill: "Sounds great but no. Why are you breaking down boxes?"

Dad: "To put in the recycling bin. Waste not want not, I say."

Bill: "What about all those boxes in the garage? Are you going to recycle those?"

Dad: "Well those I'm saving in case we move again. They're pretty good boxes."

Bill: "And these aren't?"

Dad: "These are okay, but I've developed an eye for boxes. My first job was working in a warehouse and we'd be asked to ship stuff out and it was my job to pack them up. We didn't buy new boxes so we'd break down boxes we received in and use them again. We'd get in all kinds of shapes and sizes and finding the perfect box to fit a shipment was my favorite thing."

Bill: "You need to get out more."

Dad: "Boxes are important. You want to make sure that it's big enough to fit everything inside but not so big as to allow the contents to bounce around and get damaged. It's a lot like life really."

Bill: "Boring?"

Dad: "No. Well, sometimes, but I mean a metaphorical box. A structure that we live in either by choice or circumstance. When I was growing up I had several boxes. Some were too small so I felt squeezed and squished. I couldn't move or grow. Some were so big that I didn't know what to do, where to start, or where to go. I just bounced around inside as it was tossed about."

Bill: "So why didn't you just look for a box that you were happy with?"

Dad: "It's hard. Sometimes you think that a box is perfect because it's popular and lots of people choose a similar one but for some reason there are little things about you that don't quite fit in. You can try to fit anyway and maybe those bits will bend or break so that you can conform with the dimensions inside but then you won't be the same. You have to decide if fitting into that box is worth losing a bit of yourself."

Bill: "What's the alternative?"

Dad: "Well you can choose an unpopular box. Something nobody else really wants but you are comfortable in. Then of course you risk not stacking well with the boxes of your friends or family. Maybe your box is smaller, or bigger, or triangle shaped. It can sometimes push your box away from theirs leaving gaps and space where once there wasn't any."

Bill: "Sounds a little scary."

Dad: "It can be. It just depends on what kind of person you are really."

Bill: "So what happens if I choose a box that doesn't fit with yours?"

Dad: "The wonderful thing about these boxes is they can be altered any time you want. I'd change my box for you no matter what shape you choose. Even a rhombus!"

Bill: "I don't know if I'm a rhombus guy or not."

Dad: "I'm just saying. If you need a rhombus, I'm all about it."

Bill: "We'll see. So what about you? Are you still looking for the perfect box?"

Dad: "No, Bill. I can say that I'm finally happy with my box. Right here next to yours and your mom's."